


A Piercing Realization

by Hino



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: BECAUSE I FUCKING DID, Basically Arthur reflecting on stuff, Gen, Hellbent, SO WHO SAW THAT CLIP AND DIED?, While also falling to his death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 12:56:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16305644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hino/pseuds/Hino
Summary: In that moment, falling, the pieces slot into place.Arthur understands in that moment, who dropped him and why.





	A Piercing Realization

There were a million things lining up in his mind. A million connections being made, a million pieces clicking together.

 

It’d been almost a year since they’d gone to that cave. Lewis, Vivi, Mystery, and Arthur all bundled into the van. Arthur didn’t remember much of it though. All he knew was he went into that cave with three friends, and came out with one less arm, several pints less blood, and without Lewis. The fact that Vivi never made mention of him again, or that Mystery didn’t seem to react to his absence only served to confuse Arthur, but there was this urge inside him that insisted he not speak of it, and so he didn’t.

But then they’d found that mansion, and little questions began to arise. Things like the ghost that kept chasing him insistently, who seemed to favour Vivi, who for all intents and purposes, wanted to keep her. Arthur had pulled her away and spared no glance backward, hightailing it out of there with Mystery and Vivi, who was dragged behind him, trying to resist. Her fondness for the paranormal was going to get them killed one day, at least Arthur thought so.

 

From there they’d driven around, and the nightmares that plagued his mind only got worse. There would be dreams of green, of phantom pains and screaming, and when he woke, the sleep paralysis that took over scared Arthur half to death.

So he took up the role of insomniac. With a smile and a laugh and a dismissive hand wave for Vivi, he spent the nights looking for Lewis, and the days traipsing around for clues on the latest ghost story. Vivi joined him of course, leading the way without a care in the world, and when she’d do a little “Vivi-ism” as they’d been dubbed and Lewis wasn’t there to laugh, Arthur felt himself tense up.

It didn’t help that Mystery had been quiet too. Ever since that petal had blown in he’d been moody. It seemed to make him upset, yet any attempt to take it away was met with a bark of denial and a bit of a growl, if you pressed the issue. Plus, ever since the cave, Arthur had felt uneasy around Mystery. There had been something ominous about him, something that left him feeling uncomfortable and had him gripping his left arm. The cool metal was soothing and yet frightening. After all, he’d had an arm before the cave.

Maybe something had happened in there, and he’d just forgotten about it.

 

But now he remembered it.

That van had come blaring down the highway, and in the rearview he’d seen that ghost, the same one from the mansion. He’d had the paranoia of being followed, and of seeing things out the corner of his eye for weeks now, but as a truck with purple motifs and no intent of stopping came barrelling down the road, Arthur slammed the gas pedal.

The strange girl with the scissors was after Mystery, struck by their van in the attempt to escape the truck. He seemed terrified, although Arthur spared it little thought at the time as he tried to keep them on the road. She’d gone flying off at some point, and they’d careened over the edge of the road and down into the wall of Kingsmen Mechanics.

He’d blacked out at the impact. It wasn’t like their crash was the softest thing in the world, and even though the van could probably be driven away after they’d polished out all the dents, it would still be pretty busted. The fact he’d neglected the seatbelt and the windscreen had been shattered meant he should have been far more injured than he was, although he didn’t exactly have time to count his blessings. By the time he’d come to, he was being dragged towards the truck that had chased them down the highway, and even though he screamed and struggled, that ghost still managed to toss him in the back.

 

The fall had been long and the impact harsh. His busted arm did him no favours, and the image of that ghost staring at him was burned into his mind, giving Arthur more unease. It didn’t help that the only light inside wherever he’d landed was emitted by those ghosts that seemed to follow the thing around. They let out a screech and he broke into a run, aiming for the low path but settling for the high, when he was denied. 

It was just panic really informing his decisions. He didn’t even register where he was, not until he got to that cliff and let his arm windmill around in a desperate attempt to keep his balance. To go careening over the edge and onto those spikes was not something he wanted to try.

His windmilling had done the trick, and he sighed in relief, ready to backtrack and run.

Except it didn’t go that way. The collar of his shirt went tight, as that ghost lifted him up, moving effortlessly, stepping closer to the edge. It didn’t take a genius to know that Arthur was going to be dropped over the edge. He flailed, left arm hanging limp, right arm gripping onto its sleeve, trying desperately to somehow anchor himself. His legs swung uselessly yet he could not stop it, hoping their momentum would get him back on the edge. 

It took effort, a ton of effort, feeling the circuitry in his metal arm trying its hardest to cooperate as he clung onto the ghost’s sleeve with his left hand in hopes of swaying things in his favour. Desperation welled up and it showed on his face as he looked at his attacker. Perhaps they were capable of pity, maybe they’d relent and-

 

There was a flame, pink and heatless. It washed over the ghost’s face, and Arthur felt his stomach drop, mere moments before his body followed suit.  
“Lewis?” he asked, eyes wide. His grip loosened only slightly, rationality keeping him clinging on while emotions tried to make him fall.

Emotions won, teaming up with the ghost- with Lewis. The hand let go of his collar and he fell, down towards those spikes, eagerly waiting for him.

 

There were a million things lining up in his mind. A million connections being made, a million pieces clicking together. Lewis had entered that cave with them, and never come out. Arthur had entered that cave with two arms, and left with one. Vivi had entered that cave in love, and come out without a clue who had stolen her heart. Mystery had entered brave and left hiding secrets.

Of course.  
The memory he’d blocked came back in a haze. The green tinge of jealousy, the lack of control, the push, the fall, the pain, the blood. He’d pushed Lewis and then forced himself to forget.

And now, plunging towards a death so similar to Lewis’ own, Arthur could only stare up, one thought standing out among the rest that were frantically scrambling for attention.

 

Lewis thought it had been intentional.


End file.
